Butterfly Dream: Mountain Spring Haiku by Dan Iulian

English Original

end of holiday --
memory of mountain spring
in a PET bottle

Winner, Iris Haiku Contest, 2013

Dan Iulian


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

假期結束 --
在一個塑膠瓶中
存留的山泉記憶

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

假期结束 --
在一个塑胶瓶中
存留的山泉记忆


Bio Sketch

Dan Iulian, a Romanian haiku poet, currently works as senior researcher in Bucharest. Since 2011, he has won many  awards and honourable mentions for haiku in English, French, Italian and Romanian languages. His work was  published in various magazines and anthologies in Romania and abroad.

One Man's Maple Moon: Masseuse Tanka by Neal Whitman

English Original

I lie face down
not in supplication
the masseuse
invites me to surrender
the arms I carried to war
   
Skylark, 4.2, Winter 2016

Neal Whitman


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

臉朝下躺著
我不是在懇求
女按摩師請我舉起
曾攜帶武器去打仗
的雙手

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

脸朝下躺着
我不是在恳求
女按摩师请我举起
曾携带武器去打仗
的双手 


Bio Sketch

Neal Whitman lives in Pacific Grove, California, with his wife Elaine. He is the haiku editor for Pulse: Voices from the Heart of Medicine and is Vice President of the United Haiku and Tanka Society.

Poetic Musings: Deeper Blue Haiku by Susan Constable

half the sky
a deeper blue
mid-life birthday

tinywords, January 9, 2012

Susan Constable

Commentary: The association here is the concept of half – “half a sky” and “mid-life”. Notice how Susan carefully uses two different words for the same idea. Writing haiku also means using word skills and not just marvelous inspiration. Here again it is the final word that gives the whole poem gravitas and deeper meaning. The concept of half a sky and half a life is impressive but she goes on to add two other images.

“A deeper blue” certainly is a realistic and valid description of sky and it is easy to imagine an actual sky that has a darker blue in part of it. However, when “deeper blue” is added to birthday (as many are profoundly depressed by birthdays) this idea of sadness or melancholy is expressed.

Deeper into this poem is the layer that proclaims that is one half the sky is a darker blue, the future for the person with the birthday, it means that half the sky is lighter. This conveys the idea that the past was happy and light. The “deeper blue” brings the idea that the rest of the life will be richer and more intense – all positive attributes. Susan’s sky does not hold storm clouds or anything really scary. Just a deepening hue of blue. -- excerpted from "Favourite Haiku by Jane Reichhold"

A Room of My Own: Gunshots Haiku

pop, pop, pop ...
a white dove's feather
drifts to the ground

Butterfly Dream: Breakup Talk Haiku by Padmini K

English Original

breakup talk
their shadows touch
for a moment

Padmini K


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

分手談判
他們的陰影相互碰觸
一會兒

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

分手谈判
他们的阴影相互碰触
一会儿


Bio Sketch

Padmini K has a penchant for nature, long walks and chocolates. She lives in Singapore with her husband and 4 year old child.

One Man's Maple Moon: Abandon Tanka by Martha Magenta

English Original

the jasmine
spreads over the garden
with abandon
my hair unfurls unrestrained
on your pillow without you

The Bamboo Hut, Autumn 2016

Martha Magenta


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

廢棄的花園裡
隨處都是茉莉花
你不在
在你的枕頭上我的頭髮
無拘無束地攤開

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

废弃的花园里
随处都是茉莉花
你不在
在你的枕头上我的头发
无拘无束地摊开


Bio Sketch

Martha Magenta lives in England, UK. Her haiku, and tanka have appeared in a number of journals, and anthologies. She was awarded Honourable Mentions for her haiku in The Fifth Annual Peggy Willis Lyles Haiku  Awards, 2017, and in the 71st Basho Memorial English Haiku Contest, 2017, and for her tanka in UHTS  “Fleeting Words” Tanka Contest 2017.

Butterfly Dream: Woodpecker Haiku by Charlotte Digregorio

English Original

deep in the old growth
a downy woodpecker drums
to the warbler's trill

Haiku Path at the Open Air Art Museum, Millersburg, OH

Charlotte Digregorio


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

古老森林的深處
毛茸茸啄木鳥的敲打聲
和黃鶯的顫音相互共鳴

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

古老森林的深处
毛茸茸啄木鸟的敲打声
和黄莺的颤音相互共鸣


Bio Sketch

Charlotte Digregorio has authored five reference books including Haiku and Senryu: A Simple Guide for All, and a haiku collection. Her haiku exhibit travels nationally. Winner of 51 poetry awards, Pushcart Prize nominee, former radio poetry program host and Haiku Society of America officer, she runs The Daily Haiku.

Butterfly Dream: Country Choir Haiku by Marilyn Humbert

English Original

country choir
sheep and cows join in
from the back pews

Failed Haiku, 2:15,  2017

Marilyn Humbert


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

鄉村合唱團
從教會後排長椅之處
綿羊和奶牛加入

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

乡村合唱团
从教会后排长椅之处
绵羊和奶牛加入


Bio Sketch

Marilyn Humbert lives in the Northern Suburbs of Sydney NSW surrounded by bush. Her pastimes include writing free verse poetry, tanka, tanka prose and related genre. She is the leader of Bottlebrush Tanka Group and member of the Huddle and Bowerbird Tanka Groups. Her tanka appears in Australian and international journals.

Butterfly Dream: Spring Mud Splash Haiku by Justice Joseph Prah

English Original

spring mud splash
even a father
joins his children

Justice Joseph Prah


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

春季泥土戰
甚至父親也加入
他的孩子們

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

春季泥土战
甚至父亲也加入
他的孩子们


Bio Sketch

Justice Joseph Prah is a Ghanaian and a member of Africa Haiku Network and United Haiku Tanka Society. His haiku have appeared several times in Africa Haiku Mamba e-anthology, Mainichi Daily Haiku column, Haiku Masters webpage, Asahi Haikuist Network, Robert Epstein Haiku anthology on Animals Right, The Moon Takes Off Haiku and Senryu anthology, Brass Bell, Cattails, and Shambhala Times Community Magazines etc.

One Man's Maple Moon: Atomic Dream Tanka by A A Marcoff

English Original

I saw
a kingfisher
last night
burning in
a blue atomic dream

Blithe Spirit, 21:1, 2011

A A Marcoff


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

昨晚
我看見
一隻翠鳥
在藍色的原子夢中
激烈地燃燒

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

昨晚
我看见
一只翠鸟
在蓝色的原子梦中
激烈地燃烧


Bio Sketch

A A Marcoff is an Anglo-Russian poet, born in Iran, who has lived in Africa, Iran, France and Japan. He is a much-published mainstream poet as well as a writer of tanka. He lives near the beautiful River Mole in Surrey, England.

Butterfly Dream: War Zone Haiku by Mohammad Azim Khan

English Original

war zone ...
amongst the rubble
an empty birdcage

Acorn, 37, Fall 2016

Mohammad Azim Khan


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

烽火戰區 ...
廢墟中
一個空的鳥籠

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

烽火战区 ...
废墟中
一个空的鸟笼


Bio Sketch

Mohammad Azim Khan is from Peshawar, Pakistan and retired from the United Nations. Recently, he has developed a special interest in haiku and published his work in  Acorn, Modern Haiku, The Asahi Shimbun, The Mainichi and The Heron's Nest. His other interests include gardening, reading, collecting vintage ceramics, and looking after his three pet dogs.

A Room of My Own: Empty Wine Bottle Haiku

this warmth
between my shadow and me
empty wine bottle

Butterfly Dream: Whitecaps Haiku by Jo Balistreri

English Original

whitecaps
against the pier --
his angry words

brass bell, September 2017

Jo Balistreri


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

一波波白浪
衝撞著碼頭護牆 --
他的氣話

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

一波波白浪
冲撞着码头护墙 --
他的气话


Bio Sketch

Jo Balistreri began writing haiku in 2014.  She has two books of poetry published by Bellowing Ark Press and two chapbooks by Tiger's Eye Press and is grateful, but she has found her happiness with the haiku community. They have been generous with hospitality, encouragement and time. Jo sees haiku as a way of life she wants to live within.

One Man's Maple Moon: Last Petal Tanka by Bob Lucky

English Original

the sunflower’s
last petal hangs on
autumnal fog
grandpa points at something
not quite there                                 

Ribbons, 10:1, Fall 2014

Bob Lucky


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

在秋霧中
向日葵的最後一片花瓣
懸置在空中
爺爺指著某個東西
似乎不存在

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

在秋雾中
向日葵的最后一片花瓣
悬置在空中
爷爷指着某个东西
似乎不存在


Bio Sketch

Bob Lucky is the author of the chapbook Ethiopian Time and the content editor at Contemporary Haibun Online. He lives in Saudi Arabia.

Butterfly Dream: Click of Marbles Haiku by Elmedin Kadric

English Original

the soft click of marbles an eye for an eye

The Heron's Nest, 18:3,September 2016

Elmedin Kadric


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

彈珠輕輕地相互碰撞以眼還眼

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

弹珠轻轻地相互碰撞以眼还眼


Bio Sketch

Elmedin Kadric was born in Novi Pazar, Serbia, but writes out of Helsingborg, Sweden. His first collection, buying time (2017), was published by Red Moon Press.